SACRAMENTO, Calif. – Sophomore receiver Tayli Paeu-Lindgren hauled in three touchdown passes from freshman quarterback Lola Fox while freshman Monet Zauner scored TDs on each side as the ball, helping St. Francis blank Folsom, 44-0, in a Sierra Foothill League girls' flag football game Wednesday afternoon.
The Troubadours win their second straight game to end the regular season, improving to 6-14 for the year and 5-9 in league play. It also marks the program's first shutout victory since the 2023 home finale, when SF goose-egged Davis by a 19-0 final on October 18.
Furthermore, St. Francis honored its sizable senior class after the game: center Olivia Alvernaz, cornerback Abby Clark, cornerback/rusher Gabriella Kamin, receiver Brooklyn Kann, defensive back Reese Lieuwen, linebacker Lucee Manzano, linebacker/center Zia Smith and defensive back Jaycey Todd; plus team managers/statisticians Camden Johnson and Eesha Saini.
Paeu-Lindgren put the Troubies on the board with a 29-yarder at the 12-minute mark in the first half, then tacked on the second on the first play of a short-field series with 2:38 remaining before the break. Kamin had helped force the Bulldogs to turn over on downs thanks to a quarterback hurry and a swat of a Molly Fremont pass.
Paeu-Lindgren then completed her hat trick in the first series of the second half. Nevaeh Gavino piled up 20 YAC to the 40-yard line on the first play, then Kann caught a ball over the middle to advance to Folsom's 30. Paeu-Lindgren then went on a straight go route, and Fox hit her target in stride for the third SF touchdown.
Jade Abalateo followed with the only rushing TD of the contest with 18:25 left in the second. Incredibly, this was the first St. Francis red-zone opportunity of the game, with Natalia Zitelli running a wildcat-style play to the Bulldog 19. Abalateo ran an end run for the remaining 19 yards, and Gavino caught the one-point conversion from Abalateo to extend the lead to 25-0.
The Troubies drowned the Bulldogs' passing game on the next series: Colleen Medina's hurry forced an incomplete pass, then Smith smothered her receiver for another PBU. Then Zauner notched her second "pick six" in as many games, grabbing the pass near the line of scrimmage and running it in for the score. SF led 31-0 with more than 15 minutes still left to play.
After Alexa Randall's break-up forced Folsom to a three-and-out, the Troubies enjoyed one of their most unusual TDs of the year with freshman Taylor Mitchell taking over behind center. Kann took a pass underneath to the SF 35, then two plays later, Zitelli converted a fourth-and-5 to move the marker to the Folsom 25. Mitchell threw a pass into traffic that glanced off the hands of target Nassali Serwanga and deflected sideways – straight to Gavino, who scampered untouched to the end zone for the sixth Troubie TD at the 9:30 mark.
St. Francis regained possession quickly, as Abi Hall intercepted the first Folsom attempt of the next series and returned it to the Folsom 10. Zauner, who served as the Troubies' first two-player of the season, reprised that role by lining up in the slot. She grabbed a Mitchell pass for the seventh touchdown, then made a leaping catch for the conversion to bump the lead to 44-0.
The Troubies held Folsom to four straight incomplete passes to gain a first-and-goal from the Bulldog 20 with just 2:37 left. Kamin earned the chance to contribute on offense with a 15-yard reception. Smith appeared to have scored a five-yard TD, but that play was called back due to illegal contact in the backfield. By agreement between the two coaches, the two-minute warning rules were not in effect, and the Troubies ran out of time before they could break the half-century mark in scoring.
Fox finished 11-for-14 on the game with the three touchdown passes to Paeu-Lindgren. Lieuwen and Smith each led the defense with three flags, while Lieuwen's interception at midfield set up the drive that resulted in Abalateo's TD run.
Wednesday's doubleheader had the varsity first to ensure enough daylight to get in the entire game. More unusual, however, was that it featured a halftime show. ERA, the school's dance team, performed at the break, with head coach Quincy Cooper and several of his varsity players performing in the routine.
St. Francis junior varsity followed the varsity Senior Day game with the 25-6 nightcap loss against Del Campo. The Cougars scored 19 unanswered points in the first half, then sophomore receiver Ava Votaw grabbed a Jocelyn Villaflor pass in the corner of the end zone to start the second half.
Del Campo then added another TD with five minutes left under unfortunate circumstances for the Troubies: the receiver pushed freshman corner Emerson Connor out of the way to gain separation on a corner route, resulting in an easy score.
The Troubie jayvees complete their first full season with a 3-14 overall record and a 2-10 mark in the SFL. St. Francis fielded a junior varsity team in 2023, but the squad played only a partial season with just one home game.
